 Ask  Predict  Try  Observe  Explain  Fun with Science

  The process of asking and answering questions gives you and your child the opportunity to talk together. Conversation and interaction with you provide many chances for your child to learn. The next time your child asks a question about how something works, you might say, “I’m not sure— let’s find out together.” In this way, you are helping your child use the scientific method and discover something for him or herself. Talk

 Ask  Predict  Try  Observe  Explain  Fun with Science The 5 Senses Today we explored sensory balloons to identify the contents using our sense of touch. Some things to try at home: Fill a set of paper cups with items such as cinnamon, mint, rose petals, a drop of vanilla on a cotton ball, etc. Cover the cups with foil and poke small holes in the foil. Can your child identify the contents by smell? Create a “sound scavenger hunt.” Use your phone or a mini tape recorder to record different household sounds. See how many your child can identify.

  Singing slows language down and allows children to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words. Understanding that words can be broken into smaller pieces and then put back together helps children sound out words when they are ready to learn to read. Listening to the patterns found in music can also help children identify other types of patterns, which may explain the “Mozart effect” – listening to music improves performance on certain math tasks requiring spatial-temporal reasoning. Sing

 Ask  Predict  Try  Observe  Explain  Fun with Science Musical Instruments Today we made a harp out of rubber bands and plastic containers. Here are some other instruments to try: Make a drinking glass xylophone. Put ¼ cup water in the first glass, ½ cup in the next, and so on. Tap the glasses with a spoon to compose your own songs. Stretch a balloon tightly over the top of an empty aluminum can to make your own drum. Wooden chopsticks or pencils make great drumsticks! Experiment with different sizes of cans.

  To become good readers, children need to have general knowledge about many things. Learning about science concepts helps develop this kind of knowledge. This makes it easier for children to understand books and stories when they learn to read. The experience of asking a question and looking for an answer helps children learn new information and vocabulary. It helps them become more independent, and it motivates them to want to learn more. Read

 Ask  Predict  Try  Observe  Explain  Fun with Science Reading Nonfiction There is lots of great nonfiction for preschoolers these days. Not sure how to get started? A few tips to keep it fun: When your child asks a question that you can’t answer, go together to find a book on the topic. Don’t worry about reading from cover to cover. Use the index or the table of contents to find the parts that interest your child. Explore the pictures, diagrams, and charts as well as the text. Interruptions are good! Ask and answer lots of questions.

  Children love to observe things up close. Allow plenty of opportunities for your child to record some of their observations through drawings and simple writing. Describing what they see is a good way to expand vocabulary. Use your children’s natural curiosity to help them learn new words and increase their knowledge about the world around them. Write

 Ask  Predict  Try  Observe  Explain  Fun with Science Nature Journals Today we made a nature journal and explored natural objects with a magnifying glass. Some things to try at home: Take a nature walk and collect small objects. When you get home, record what you found in your journal: write, draw, try a crayon rubbing, or attach flat objects directly to the pages. You can also use a nature guide to identify the things you found. Take the same walk in different weather. What is the same? What is different? Record your observations in your journal. For a varied fine motor experience, try different writing materials: crayons, colored pencils, markers, pens, chalk…

  Children are natural scientists. They have a tremendous curiosity about what goes on around them. They love to explore, ask questions, predict, sort, classify, compare, and contrast. Children learn best when they are having fun. You can find opportunities every day to involve children in science. You do not have to be an expert to do this. Just give your children the chance to ask questions, look for answers, and talk about the experience. Play

 Ask  Predict  Try  Observe  Explain  Fun with Science Science in a Bottle Today we played with color as well as density when we made a lava lamp in a bottle. Some things to try at home: Fill a bottle with small pieces of colored tissue paper. Rub the bottle on your hair or clothes to see the effects of static electricity. Cut different colored chenille stems (pipe cleaners) into very small pieces and place them in a water bottle. Run a magnet along the outside of the bottle to see how the metal bits move around. Fill a water bottle with a layer of corn syrup, a layer of water, and a layer of oil. Drop small objects into the bottle to see what happens. Try to predict which objects will float on each layer.